1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paper feeding device to be used in an image producing apparatus such as a laser beam printer for the purpose of feeding to a image producing portion one after another a multiplicity of recording papers stored in a stack therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The image producing apparatus such as a laser beam printer is provided with a paper feeding portion which serves the purpose of storing recording papers in a stack therein and, at the same time, feeding these recording papers one by one to an image producing portion. This paper feeding portion is provided with a width regulating member which serves the purpose of enabling the paper feeding portion to accommodate therein recording papers available in a plurality of different sizes and, at the same time, regulating the position of the stack of recording papers in the direction of width thereof. This width regulating member is so disposed in the paper feeding portion as to slide freely therein in the direction of width of paper. When a resist roller is set in place in front of the image forming portion on the downstream side of the paper feeding portion, it prevents a recording paper in process of travel from putting the leading edge thereof out of alignment or advancing in an oblique direction and consequently allows a given image to be formed correctly in a prescribed position. When this resist roller is excluded for the purpose of accomplishing miniaturization of the printer, therefore, the paper feeding portion must be adapted so that a recording paper in process of departure from the paper feeding portion will be prevented from advancing obliquely.
For the sake of accomplishing the miniaturization of the printer and, at the same time, ensuring formation of an image correctly at the prescribed position on the recording paper, the function of a paper regulating member or a width regulating member which is intended to regulate the position of a recording paper in the direction of width thereof counts very much. When the recording paper in process of departure from the paper feeding part is suffered to swerve, for example, the possibility arises that the recording paper will push the width regulating member out of position and eventually exert an adverse effect on the elimination of skew. As a measure to prevent the width regulating member from deviation, an idea of adapting the width regulating part to generate increased resistance to slide may be conceived. Such an addition to the resistance to slide, however, entails the problem of sacrificing the convenience with which the paper feeding portion is handled for setting recording papers in place therein. Further, the deviation of the width regulating member due to the swerve of a recording paper may be precluded by employing means which imparts clicks at fixed intervals to the width regulating member to repress the possible occurrence of an empty space due to the dimensional inconsistency of recording papers. This approach, however, boosts the cost of manufacture of the apparatus and renders infeasible economic production of a small image producing apparatus.